Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-07-13

out OF his saddle with all the grace OF q sack
of Goals, but the Boer hesitated.
"Uncle Silas is nm angry man," he ventured; {;
"he might shoot if he found me poking about
his house."
"Don't answer mel" thundered Muller; "get
down and do as bid you'll"
"Ah, what q devil Of man." murmured
the unfortunate Hans as he hurried to obey.i
Meanwhile Hendrix the one eyed had
Jumped upon the veranda and was peering,
through the windows.
"Here they are, baas; here they are!" he
sang out; "the old cock and the pullet, tool"
and be gave kick to the window, which, be-
ing rnlatched, swung wide open, revealing
tbs old man sitting there in his wooden arm-
chair with Bessie standing at his side, his rifle
on his knees, and holding bis fair haired liece
by the hand. Frank Muller dismountel and
came OH to the veranda, and behind him
crowded up dozen or more Of his followers
"What is it that you want, Frank Muller,
that you come to my house with all these
armed men9" asked Silas Croft from his
CHAIR
II call upon you, Silas Croft, to surrender to
take your trial as land betrayer and rebel
against the republic" was the answer. Il am
sorry, 2 he added, with q bow toward Bessie,
ON whom his eyes had been fixed all the time,
ITO be obliged to take you prisoner in the
presence Of lady, but my duty gives me no
choice"
IL do not know what you mean," said the
old man. II am subject Of Queen Victoria
and IN Englishman. How then, can rebel
against any republic9 am all Englishman,
Isay," he went on with rising anger, speaking
SO high that his powerful voice rang until
every Boer there could hear it, sand ac-
knowledge the authority of no repub-
lies This is my house, and order you
to leave it. claim my rights as an English
mani
"Here," interrupted Muller, coldly, "Eng-
ishmen have no rights, except such as we
choose to allow them"
"Shoot himl" cried voice.
"Treat him as Buskes treated Van der Lin
den at Potchefstroom!" cried another.
ayes, make him swallow the same pill that
we gave to DR.. Barber" put in third
"Silas Croft, are you going to surrender" !"
asked Muller, in the same cold voice.
"No!" thundered the old man in his English
pride. II surrender to no rebels in arms
against the queen. will shoot the first man
who tries to lay a finger on mel" and he rose
to his feet and lifted his rifle.
"Shall I shoot him, baas?-shall I shoot
him" asked the one eyed Hendrix, smacking
his lips at the thought, and fiddling with the
rusty lock of the old fowling piece he carried.
Muller, by way Of answer, struck him
across the face with the back Of his hand.
"Hans Coetzee," he said, Ego and arrest that
man."
Poor Hans hesitated, as well he might.
Nature had not endowed him with any great
amount Of natural courage, and the sight OF
his old neighbor's rife barrel made him feel
positively sick He hesitated and began to
stammer excuses.
"Are you going, uncle, or must denounce
you to tho general as a sympathizer with
Englishmenl" asked Muller, in malice, for he
knew the old fellows weaknesses and cow
ardice, and was playing on them.
"I am going. OF course I am going,
nephew. Excuse me; a little faintness took
me-the heat of the SUM-" he babbled. "Oh,
yes, am going to seize the rebel. Perhaps
one of those young men would not mind ell
gaging his attention on the other side He is
an angry mani know him Of old-and an
angry man with gun, you know, dear
nephew"-
"Are you goingg" said his terrible master
once more.
"Oh, yes! certainly yes Dear Uncle Silas,
pray put down that gun, it is 50 dangerous.
Don't stand there looking like wild OK, but
come up to the yoke. You are old, Uncle
Silas, and don't want to have to hurt you.
Come now, come, come," and be held out his
hand toward him as though he were q shy
horse that he was endeavoring to beguile.
"Hans Coetzee, traitor and liar that you
are" said the old man, "if you como step
nearer, by God! will put bullet through
you!" :,
get him by the tail; knock him down with a
yokeskei; turn the old bull on his back"
shouted the crowd of scoffers from the win
dow, taking very good care, however, to clear
off to the right and left in order to leave room
for the expected bullet.
Hans positively burst into tears and Null
Ter, who was the only one who held his
ground, caught him by the arm, and, put
ting out all his strength, swung him toward
Silas Croft.
For reasons of his own he was anxious that
the latter should shoot one Of them, and he
chose Hans Coetzee, whom he disliked and
despised, for the sacrifice.
Up went the rifle, and at that moment Bes-
sic, who had been standing bewildered, made
dash at it, knowing that bloodshed could
only make matters worse. As she did SO 1t
exploded, but not before she had shaken her
uncle's arm, for instead Of killing Hans, as it
undoubtedly would otherwise have done, the
bullet only cut his ear and then passed out
through the open window place. In an in
slant the room was filled with smoke. Hans
Coetzee clapped his hand to his head, and
commenced to yell with pain and terror, and
in the confusion that ensued three or four
men, headed by the Kaffir Hendrix, rushed
into the room and sprang upon Slas Croft,
who had retreated to the wall and was stand
ing with his back against it, his rife, which
he had dubbed in both his hands, raised
above his head.
When his assailants got close to him they
hestated, for, aged and bent as he was, the
old man looked like mischief. Hestood there
like lion and swung the rifle stock about
|. Presently one Of the men struck at him and
missed him, but before he could retreat Silas
brought down the stock Of bis rife on his
head and down he went like an OK beneath q
poleax. Then they closed OH him, but for
while he kept them off, knocking down an
other man in his efforts. As he did so the
witch doctor, Hendrix, who had been watch
ing for his opportunity, brought down the
barrel Of his old fowling piece upon Silas'
bald head and felled him. Fortunately the
blow was not q very heavy one or it would
have caved his skull in. AS it was it only
cut his hea, open and knocked him down.